Piece handling machine for delivering thin pieces of material



G. G. SCHNEIDER May 9, 1950 G N I R E V u D15 R4 www F f mm1, F1o IO msm AEE MCJ E Gld NP9 MNM DIF mm H E m T. P l d B 2 M l TTORNEY sidei by side and: spaced apart.

Patented May 9, 1950 D STATES PA'IENT OLP FICE PIECE HANDLINGMACHINE Fon DELIVER, INGTHIN PIECES oF MATERIAL 6 Claims.`

l In. the..manufacture;-eof radio vacuum. tubes, formed-or.v stampedspiecesof mica are used for insulation. In various operations, itis neces-- sary-to lay. such piecesi'of-mica individually and inaparticularsrelation; One such operation is that in which the; surfacesof the mica pieces;,are coated: Heretofore; and-.prior to the invention hereinv disclosed-g.ithasrbeenthe common practice to layxthe pieceszmanually for. the purpose of coating the surface thereof. This practice has prexvfailed:'.in-v feeding: piecescon to the conveyor belt of the coating-machine disclosedin the copending.v applica-tion,` Serial No. 561592,; filed November 2; 1944, nova.` PatentiV No.. 2,470,580; Several; operators.; are requireck for this 1 purpose and, in general, there is overlappingl of-pieces-fand the machine is loaded only to about threequarters i of its. capacity.l

An objectof thepresentinvention is tofprovide vai. machines thatyisf suitable for segregating individual pieces of thin material. such, for example; ast. the micaJ pieces.- referred-to, and'lfor delivering Ysuclrpieces individually-and consecutively. Another object oithe inventionA is; to

providev a machine sfor-4 automatically feeding: such pieces .to a., conveyor belt.

The. foregoing' objects. and certain advantages that hereinafterA appear arerealizedsini the embodiment of the.invention-.illustrated inthe accomp'anying:l drawing and described in detail below', fromwhich# description aV clearer under:-

standingsofathe invention may be'. had.'

The drawings include:

Fig;v 1 which-is aerear elevation` of @machine embodyin'g-:thefinvention; and

Fig; 2,'Whichisfa side.y elevation of the same, partly 1 in, section.

Theiparticularsma'cliine' illustrated in theeidrawjings-.is-.designedito deliver to,A a conveyorAv belt Yin proper successionfthree. pieces of mica arranged In allv essential respects; this.mac-hineris'-J the same: as. ones which delivers singlapieces of mica inproper succession. Thesoperativegparts, arednplicated--for each vadditional: piecefto-bei deliveredyand. the: vvholeeis1 arranged one: commen frame:

In general, the machine illustrated in theidrawings; includessa ramesupport'- on; which-- the varions Qppeiat parts; are mounted, Which supg increasethe capacity of; the-.machine.

means; an arrangement for removing a piece sep? arated':` by: the segregatin'gV means, designated generallyfby th'echaracterD and delivery. means, designated generally by the character:` E. A quantity of mica pieces .arepoured into the ho1ding'means of themachine Without'regard to their relative relation. The'segregating means operates periodicallyto segregate apiece from the piecesin vthe holding means `and carries,` the piece u into proper position With respect-fte the delivery means.` Atthis point.the removing means `actuf ates to remove the segregateda-pieceanddepositit on therdeliveryl-meansfrom whence it passes-toa conveyor belt, forl example;

Inv the.-` machine f illustrated, the;` frame is 3 constructedz ofangle irons Vand provides;- a vertical, box-like, frame structure. Four uprights,y or standards Iconstitute the-corners of the frame. These 'rarer-secured together into Va rigid structure byrupper and Alovver'side,` cross pieces and 3', and

Lippen intermediateandlower front and rear'cross piecesll,- 5;l and 6; respectively. Side trusses in the form of crossed members 8;and 9rserve to strength'en the :trame:v

The mica holding means issecured to the upper endof the. frame. This consists of ag troughvshaped hopper I 0; having-ay base I I restinglupon and securedto .the upper-.endet` theframe. The hopper, in the machine illustrated, includes three funnelishaped portions I2,l I3 and1 I4.; one for each segregatingmeans, whichY receive. mica piecesfromthecommon portion ofthe hopper, thefportion I5, above the. funnel-shaped portions. Desirabl anauxiliary. hopper I6 is provided to The auxiliaryhopper Vis open .alongone' edgey thereof and the, bottom I'I-is-pivoted tothe wall of the main hopperiatlthe openedge. The auxiliary hopper fits Within the side walls'sofithe main hopper and may be secured in any adjusted-position about its pivoted. connection with the' hopper Il). Desira'bly, the auxiliary l'xoppern isv set, in accordance vWiththe` angle of reposeof they mica.V pieces, to eiect ia-l feeding; therefrom to the-main hopper I0 5 by fthe .action of gravity.

The baseeof the.; main hopper is.v bored atthe bottom of. each'l funnelf-shaped portion to'form openings therethrough-,l 'such as; the opening IB (Fig. 2) from the bottom of the funnel-shaped portion I4; Into the opening i8,- the upper'end o: a segregating plunger i9y extends and the plunger..` is slidablyA mounted in the opening. The upper. face 2,0 oftheplungeris inclined to the iisf'f.lh-"Plllel 2mdma? bef' C1117? away aS- at 2i forming an inclined; ellipticalsector. Ex-

tending from the lower portion of the edge of the face of the plunger, there are a series of spaced pins or projections 2| which engage the edge of a piece of mica resting at on the face of the plunger. The inclination of the face of the plunger is such that a piece of mica resting thereon will slide down the face to be engaged by the pins or projections 2| which retain the piece of mica as the plunger moves up through the hopper. The pins extend from the face of the plunger a distance such that only one piece of mica can be retained on the face of the plunger.

The plunger is reciprocated so that it moves through the hopper from the position (Fig. 2) shown in full lines to the position shown in broken lines. Reciprocation of the plunger is desirably eiected either pneumatically or hydraulically. For this purpose, there is provided a cylinder 22, one end of which, the lower end, is pivotally secured to a bracket 23 mounted on and secured to the lower end of the frame. The cylinder is provided with ports 24 and 25 at each end thereof for the admission and exhaust of fluid under pressure. Within the cylinder, there is a piston (not shown) which is connected to a piston rod 26 that extends through and is slidably mounted in the upper head of the cylinder. The upper end of the piston rod is pivotally secured to a cross beam 21. From the cross beam, rods 28, 29 and 30 extend and each is secured at its upper end to a segregating plunger, the rod 30 being secured to the plunger I9. These rods pass through spaced openings in a bracket 3| and are thus restrained in axial alignment with the plungers. The pivotal mounting of the cylinder and the cross beam 21 serves to equalize the thrust on the three plungers. Adjustable stops 32 and 33 are mounted on brackets 34 and 35 and serve to limit the downstroke of the plungers. Fluid under pressure controlled through a cam operated four way valve, actuated by the machine being fed, serves to eiect periodic reciprocation of the plungers.

When a plunger moves through the mica pieces in the hopper, it segregates a single piece of mica which rests on the inclined face thereof. An air jet is utilized to remove the piece of mica from the face of the plunger. To this end, a passage 36 extending axially of the plunger I9 is provided. At the lower end, the passage 36 communicates with a transverse passage 31 through the side wall of the plunger, and at the upper end with a jet passage 38 through the face of the plunger. The passage 31 is connected by a flexible tube 39 to one side of a valve 40 that is Y mounted below the bracket 3|. The other side of the valve 4G is connected to a source of air under pressure. This valve is of the type in which pressure on the stem opens the valve and spring pressure closes the valve.

At the end oi the upward stroke of the piston, the valve 40 is opened and air under pressure blows the piece of mica 01T of the face of the plunger. Opening of the valve is eiected by an adjustable set screw 4| threaded in an L-shaped bracket 42 secured to the cross beam 21. The set screw is in line with the valve stem and in the upper position of the cross beam opens the valve.

In the upper position of the plunger I9, the face 20 thereof is slightly above and adjacent tc the base of a delivery chute 43. The delivery chute extends through the side wall of the hopper, is inclined downwardly, and the lower end is above a conveyor belt 44. The pieces slide down the chute and on to the conveyor belt. Desirably, there is a separate chute for each segregating plunger. In this way the several pieces are delivered to the conveyor belt properly spaced apart. The mechanism of the machine containing the conveyor belt operates the four way valve to secure periodic reciprocation of the segregating plungers.

The pins 2| on the plunger I9 are removable and replaceable with other pins that project above the surface of the plunger different amounts. Thus, diierent pin lengths are used for mica pieces of different thicknesses. It has been found that the friction between a pin and an opening therefor is suiicient to retain the pin on the plunger and thus the pins are readily removed and replaced. In addition, pins are provided at different places for different shaped pieces and the removability of the pins permits a ready change to be made for different shaped pieces.

From the foregoing description of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing and described in detail above, it will be apparent that by the invention there is provided a mechanism for segregating and delivering thin sheet pieces such as pieces of mica, a, machine that is suitable for feeding pieces of mica consecutively and in spaced relation to a conveyor belt, and that is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing and described above within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A machine of the kind described for delivering relatively thin pieces such as pieces of mica and the like, which machine comprises in combination a trough container for holding a plurality of pieces, a vertically reciprocable plunger movable centrally of said container and having a substantially flat downwardly inclined upper end for segregating a single piece from the plurality of pieces in said holding means as a result of said plunger moving through said trough, means for positively removing a piece from said segregating means, and at least one projection on said inclined upper end of the plunger for holding said segregated piece from sliding off said inclined end until it is positively removed by said removing means.

2. A machine of the kind described for delivering relatively thin pieces such as pieces of mica and the like, which machine comprises in combination means for holding a plurality of pieces, a vertically reciprocable plunger for segregating a single piece from the plurality of pieces in said holding means, air jet means for positively removing a piece from said segregating means, means carried by the upper end of said plunger for holding the segregated piece from sliding 01T the end of said plunger until it is removed by said air jet means, and means for delivering a piece removed from said segregating means.

3. A machine of the kind described for delivering relatively thin pieces such as pieces of mica and the like, which machine comprises in combination a container for holding a plurality of pieces, a vertically reciprocable plunger for successively segregating single pieces from the pieces in the container, said plunger having an inclined upper end to receive said segregated piece, means for positively removing a piece from said segregating means, and said inclined upper end of the plunger having at least one projection for holding the segregated piece from sliding off by gravity except when it is removed by said removing means.

4. A machine of the kind described for delivering relatively thin pieces such as pieces of mica and the like, which machine comprises in combination means for holding a plurality of pieces, means for segregating a single piece from the plurality of pieces in said holding means including a plunger extending into and slidably mounted in said holding means, means for effecting relative movement between the plunger and said holding means, air jet means for positively removing a piece from said segregating plunger, and means carried by the upper end of said plunger for restraining said segregated piece from sliding 01T by gravity until it is removed by said air jet means.

5. A machine of the kind described for delivering relatively thin pieces such as pieces of mica and the like, which machine comprises in combination means for holding a plurality of pieces, means for segregating a single piece from the plurality of pieces in said holding means including a vertically reciprocable plunger extending into and slidably mounted in said holding means, the plunger having an end surface inclined to the axis thereof, means for eiecting relative reciprocatory movement between the plunger and said holding means, means for positively removing a piece from the inclined surface of said segregating plunger, and a plurality of pins carried by the inclined surface of said plunger to hold said segregated piece against sliding off the plunger by gravity until it is removed by said removing means.

6. A machine of the kind described for delivering relatively thin pieces such as pieces of mica and the like, which machine comprises in combination means for holding a plurality of pieces. means for segregating a single piece from the plurality of pieces in said holding means, and means for removing a piece from said segregating means including an air jet.

GERHARD GNTHER SCHNEIDER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Boercker Mar. 8, 1921 Number 

